Yarn-dyeing device



March 2 1926. 1,575,234

G. T. THOMAYER YARN DYEING DEVICE Original Filed Feb. 2, 1925 Geo/ye mzomq/efi "111M Hlom %%2LW Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE r. rnoM YEn, on A BANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To ECONOMY nYnrNe MACHINE CORPORATION, or ALBANY, NEW YORK, A con- PORATION on NEW YORK.

YARN-DYEING nnvron.

Original application filed February 2, 1925, Serial No. 6,253. Divided and this application filed J'unc 6, 1925. Serial No. 35,289.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. THOMAYER,

. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in dyeing apparatus more e ecially to aparat-us in which. a continuous y passing yarn 1s permitted at successive intervals to re main in contact with a dye applying means.

In the dyeing mechanism of the art, previous to my invention, the yarn has been passed in close contact with a rotating shaft or element used forgiving the yarn (which normally passes above the dye applying element) the required movement towards and from the said dye applying elementfor applying the dye to the yarn, or else when a rocking shaft is operated the randomer arm or finger secured to the rocking shaft is raised by acam wheel and drawn back by spring action. The first of these constructions is objectionable because the rotating shaft frequently engages itself with the broken yarn and winds the yarn thereupon, and in the second specified construction the sprlng action results in unnecessary noise in the factory, and, furthermore, the operation of therandomer is subject to the resiliency of the spring, which if weakened or broken causes failure of operation.

An object therefore of the present invent1on is to provide an intermittently or random dyeing apparatus for yarn in which theuse of rotating elements in contact with the yarn is avoided.

Another object of the invention is to provide a yarn dyeing apparatus inwhichthe randomer arm or finger over which the yarn passes is positively rocked up and down by means of a connecting link secured to a rotating shaft mounted upon the structure comparatively far removed from the yarn.

\Viththese and other objects in view, the invention comprises the apparatus described and set forth in the following specification and claims. Y

This application is a divisionof my prior application Serial No. 6253,-filed Februar 2nd,1925. i. .u

The various features of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a cross sectional view of a dye tank and randomer apparatus secured thereto embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the randomer apparatus showing the yarn passing thereover, engaged by the guiding elements; the dye tank and dye applying element not shown in the interest of clearness.

In my present invention, dye is applied to the passing yarn through a stationary wick over and in contact with the upper surface of which the yarn is guided. The wick is mounted in a stationary tank through which a supply of dye liquor is circulated to fill the tank to a level immediately below the upper surface of the wick, the wick extending through an opening in the cover of the tank and ending at the upper surface of the coven and the dye liquor filling the 'tank to the under surface of the cover and thus but slightly below the upper surface of the wick. The dye tank is preferably mounted in an enclosing tank which receives the overflow of dye liquor from the wick holding tank. The yarn to be dyed is guided over the wick and in contact with the upper surface of the wick and is positively lifted out of contact with the wick at successive intervals by a finger mounted on a rock shaft at one side of the tank and also thereby permitted to return into engaged contact with the wick at successive intervals. The length of the dyed and undyed intervals may be varied by varying the speed ofthe yarn and the character ofv the dyeing may also be varied by varying the amplitude of the rocking ovement of the lifting finger through an justment of the driving means forthe rock shaft.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, dye applying wicks 10,

of which only one is shown in the acc0mon the end of the shaft.

overflow opening 18 and the rate of feed. of the dye liquor are-such as to maintain the tank filled to the under surface of the tank and the level of the liquor is thus maintained at a distance from the upper surface of the wicks approximately equal to the thickness of the tank walls, which is preferably approximately one sixteenth of an inch.

A constant fresh supply of "dye liquor is thus maintained at the top of the wick which lnsures 'a uniform, even, color for the dyed portions of the yarn;

The wick tank '12 is mounted by means of brackets 20 on the under surface of a cover 22 of an outer tank 24 in such position that the openings 14 coincide with openings 26 in the cover 22. The tank 24 receives the dye liquor overflowing through the opening 18 from the tank 12 and conveys itfrom the tank through an outlet pipe 28 and also serves to support and mount the mechanism for guiding the yarn and lifting it from contact with the upper surface of the wick. The edges of theopenings26 also serve to protect the surfaces of the wlcks 10 from excessive wear through contact with the passing yarn. A moving length of yarn 30 to be dyed 1s guided in its movement in close contact with the upper surface of the wick 10 between a pair of tensioning discs 32 and 34 at the side of the tank from which the yarn approaches and a guide 36 preferably of porcelain on the opposite side of the tank. The discs 32 and 34 are loosely or rotatably mounted on a rod or shaft 38 supported from the side of the tank 24 by means of a bracket 40. The disc 32 is held in fixed position by means of a suitable shoulder or stop 42 and the other disc 34 is pressed resiliently thereagainst by means of a spring 43 confined on the shaft 38 between the outer face of the disc 34 and a nut 44 The spring 43 presses the disc 34 against the disc 32 with sufiicient tension to hold the end of the yarn in case of breakage and thus prevent it from coming into contact with any rotating elementsand thus being wound upon them.

Theguide 36 is of the well known construction and opens upwardly and has a pair of fingers 46 extending over the opening in offset positions to permit a thread to be threaded by merely being pressed downwardly into the opening of theeyelet between the fingers 46 and upon being released is then held in position by the interwick 10 and the guiding and tensioning elements and press it downwardly between 'sary to lay it in the proper position over the the discs 32 and 34 on one side of the tank and between the fingers 46 on the other side. The guide 36 is supported on the side of the tank 24 by means of a suitable bracket 48.

The tensioning discs 32 and 34 and the guide 36 are so positioned that the passing yarnnormally lies on the upper surface of the wick 10 and soaks up the dye liquor as it passes in engagement therewith. To dye the yarn in an intermittent or random manner, it is lifted from its normal position of contact with the dyeing element and per mitted to fall back into contact therewith at successive intervals by means of a positively moving finger 49 mounted on a rock shaft 50 journaled in bearings 52 on the brackets 40, one only being shown. As the shaft 50 is rocked in a direction to swing the finger 49 upwardly the yarn 30 is lifted out of contact with dye liquor on the wick 10 and upon rotating reversely to swing the finger 49 downwardly permits the yarn to fall into contact with the wick and to soak up the dye liquor until again lifted.

The shaft 50 may be given a suitable rocking movement in any suitable manner. It is preferably driven from a short shaft 53 journaled in bearings 54 in a bracket 56, one only being shown mounted, on and proecting sidewise from, the lower portion of the tank 24 and having at one end a driving wheel 58 for receiving power from any suitable source. The rotatory movement of the wheel 58 and shaft 53 is transmitted from a pin 60 on the side of the wheel, which acts as a crank, through a link rod 62 to a crank arm 64 mounted on the rock shaft 50, the connection being such as to transmit a rocking movement to the arm 64 and finger 49.

The length of the dyed and undyed intervals may be varied by varying the speed of travel of the passing yarn, the intervals bemg longer as the speed of the yarn 1n creases. The relative lengths ofthe dyed and undyed portions may also be varied by varying the amplitude of swinging of the rock shaft 50 and finger 49. For this purpose, the distance of the connection of the link 62 to the arm 6 is made adjustable by providing a series of openings 66 at intervals in the arm 64, into any one of which the link 62 may be connected by means of a pin 68. The distance between the connections of the arm 64 to the wheel pin 60 may also be varied by providing a number of spaced openings 70 at the lower end of the link. The effective length of the crank arm formed by the wheel 58 may also be varied by providing a number of holes 72 in'the wheel 58 at different distances from its axis for the insertion of the pin 60. y

The above invention, therefore, provides a dye applying means in which a uniform, fresh supply of dye is provided in position to be absorbed by the passing yarn, the yarn being positively raised and lowered from and in contact with the dye applying means. The guiding elements are also so arranged that the yarn may be quickly and easily arranged in position for dyeing and is securely caught in case it should become broken.

It is, of course, to be understood that the dyeing mechanism above described is to be mounted upon awinding machine between a the two reels of yarn, the yarn being cont nuously moving in the direction of the rocking lever 49 in passing from one roll to the other, as clearly shown in the patent to Kilbourn No. 619,893 granted February 21, 1899, and also there are'provided a series of randomer fingers 49 on the shaft 50 and a series of wicks 10 in the tank 12 and a series of pairs of reels of yarn, each wick being opposed to or in line with each randomer finger, and each wick and its opposed randomerfinger bemg mounted between each reel composing each pair of reels of varn, all as understood.

ing.

As stated above, in the interest of clearness, but one wick, one randomer finger and a single run of yarn are shown in the draw- As changes of construction could be made within the scope of my invention it is intended that all the matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thusdescribed my invention what I claim as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus of the type described which comprises dye applying means, means for guiding yarn over and in contact with said dye applying means, a positively moving comprises a dye containing tank, a wick in said tank,-means for passing yarn over and in contact with the upper surface of said wick, a rock shaft, a finger mounted on said rock shaft, a crank arm on said shaft, a reciprocating link and means for connecting said link to said crank arm at a variable distance from theaxis of said rock shaft.

4. Apparatus of the type described which comprises, a stationary dye applying means, a pair of tensioning plates at the approach side of said dye applying means, a guide at the opposite side of said dye" applying means, and a rocking finger for lifting said yarn from said dye applying means at suc cessive intervals.

5. Apparatus of the type described which comprises, a dye applying wick, means for maintaining a body of dye liquor to a distance but slightly below the top of said wick, upwardly opening yarn guiding means at one side of said wick, a pair of tensioning plates at the opposite side of said Wick, a rocking shaft, and a lifting finger mount ed on said rocking shaft in position to lift yarn passing through said guide and tensionmg means.

6. Apparatus of the type described which comprises, a dye applying means, means for guiding yarn over and in contact with said dye applying means, a rock shaft, a crank arm on said rock shaft having openings spaced in its length, a lifting finger on said rock shaft positioned to lift said yarn at successive intervals, a rotating crank arm, a link connected at one end to said rotating crank arm and at its opposite end'to one of said crank arm holes.

7 Apparatus of the type described which comprises, a dye applying means, means for guiding yarn over and in contact with said dye a-pplyingmeans, a rock shaft, a crank arm on said rock shaft having openings spaced in its length, a lifting finger on said rock'shaft positioned to lift said yarn at. successive intervals, a rotating crank arm, a link connecting said rotating crank arm to one of the openings in said rock shaft crank arm, and means for varying the link distance between said crank arms.

8. Apparatus of the type describedwhich comprises, a dye applying means, means for guiding yarn over and in contact with said dye applying means, a rock shaft, a lifting finger for said yarn on said rock shaft, a crank arm on said rock shaft, a driving rotating shaft, a link connecting said shafts, means for varying the distance of said link from the axis of said rock shaft.

GEORGE T. THOMAYER, 

